Solo travel in Istanbul has been a trending topic for quite some time now. Istanbul is the only city in the world which is divided between two continents; therefore, it is natural for it to be very touristy and crowded. However, despite being a hotspot for the tourists – traveling solo in Istanbul is not so straightforward. Moreover, if you’re a brown girl – things might be a tad more different (read: difficult) for you!
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If you don’t know already – I’m Rahma Khan, a brown girl with Pakistani ethnicity who has traveled alone enough to understand the dos and donts of solo travel. In this article, I am going to share my real experiences which I encountered in Istanbul during my recent trip to Turkey.
If you’re wondering about the focus on the term ‘brown’ here – then let me explain to you that traveling as a woman of color is a whole different ball game altogether! This game is all about perception. As solo traveling is very popular these days, people have become very comfortable and used to seeing a white woman traveling alone. The reasons being – they’re culturally more independent. But when they see a brown girl traveling alone, it surprises them – often intrigues them to know how on earth a brown girl got all the freedom to travel alone all by herself!
I spent some twelve days in Turkey but if you do not have that many days on hand – a 7 day Turkey itinerary will cover most of the must-do activities and places to visit. There are a lot of cultural differences involved here which we will talk about some other day – for now, let’s talk about Istanbul.
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Solo Travel In Istanbul – Reaching The City Center From The Airport
Upon reaching Istanbul, much like many other solo travelers, I decided to opt for public transport to reach Sultanahmet (old city) from Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Mind you, there are two airports in Istanbul and both of them are seriously far from the city center. Taking public transport is the best option to reach the city unless you have rented out a car. Avoid taking the taxis altogether, as it will cost you triple the price of public transport.
Another hassle-free option is to book a door to door ride with Kiwi Taxi. They offer airport pick-up and drop-off all across the world
My journey to Sultanahmet was divided into two legs. The first being quite hassle-free and simple where I boarded a Havabus to Taksim square. I wasn’t really excited about the second leg of the journey which involved in taking a taxi. According to what I read online and heard from friends – the taxi drivers in Istanbul are legit scammers, and well, my experience proved it to be right! And apparently, alone girls are an easy target for them.
My hostel was in Sultanahmet and the taxi driver forced me to get down of the taxi at Eminonu, which is near to Sultanahmet but not near enough to walk with a huge and heavy suitcase. The reason he mentioned that for some ‘apparent reasons’, the road further was closed for the cars. Definitely, it was a white lie. And though the taxi was metered, I still doubt the price I was showed on the meter to pay.
Check out this Istanbul Travel Guide by National Geographic
Nonetheless, extremely annoyed I got off the taxi trying to figure out how to drag my suitcase for a couple of kilometers uphill. Well, I saw another empty taxi going that way so to cut the drama, I hopped in and agreed to pay a ‘fixed price’, which was again a low-key scam, but well I just wanted to reach my hostel ASAP.
However, there was more drama to come my way during the thankfully short ride to my hostel. The taxi driver, who initially seemed kind and hospitable suddenly, changed his colors when he got to know that I was from Pakistan planning to stay all alone in Turkey for some nice 13 days. It was followed by annoying offers to explore Istanbul with him, exchange numbers, drink coffee with him and so on and so forth.
Thank God, the language was a huge barrier and I acted that I didn’t understand what he was saying (though the body language tells a lot), just to avoid the very unhealthy and uninvited flirting!
And that wraps my first not-so-pleasing adventure of reaching my hostel in Istanbul.
To avoid such unpleasant experiences while traveling alone – the best option is to travel with a tour! Here some really interesting tours to take in Istanbul
Solo Travel In Istanbul – Annoying Restaurant Guy
The very next morning, I stepped out from my hostel wandering around the area to look for a decent place for breakfast. Suddenly, a random guy grilling kebabs in one of the restaurants stopped me. Naturally, I assumed he will ask me to visit his restaurant but well the conversation started with “India or Arab?”. Exactly at that very moment, I knew what I was about to deal with for the next couple of minutes. Sadly, that conversation lasted way more than a couple of minutes!
Not trying to look rude, I answered him kindly ‘Pakistan’, to which he became extremely surprised. “Alone or family?” was the immediate next question. How badly, I want to punch myself now for telling him the truth! I could have easily lied to him and avoided the whole scenario altogether. Anyway, the next few minutes of my life involved schooling from him on how I should beware of random men calling on the streets (LOL at the irony), don’t go drinking with strange men and avoid neighborhoods where Arabs are in a majority!
Solo travel in Istanbul was way more adventurous then I anticipated!
Then came the most ridiculous part of the conversation – he grabbed a tissue paper and a pen, wrote his name and number and asked me to contact him after 6 PM when his duty gets over! Remember how he was schooling me not to hang out with strange men a couple of minutes before? Yes, now he was all excited to take me out for drinks and to become my ‘local guide’ quite forcefully. I said ‘thank you’ and walked away.
You must be wondering what I did with that tissue paper? Well, I used it to clean the shawarma strain on my white shirt and threw it off in trash – a well deserved place for it!
Solo Travel In Istanbul – Religious Cat Calling
The very same day, I decided to visit Taksim Square – the modern heart of Istanbul. It is pretty normal in touristy places like Taksim Square where you come across random nicely dressed guys selling perfumes, watches, and whatnot. Well, that wasn’t something which I was bothered about. While walking across the square, I passed several groups of guys and random single dudes smoking who low-key catcalled but very religiously! “Masha-Allah”, “Asalam-ale-kum”, were few of the words which I could understand.
‘Masha-Allah’ is an Arabic word used to praise something beautiful and ‘Asalam-ale-kum’ is the Muslim ‘hello’. I am sure those guys wouldn’t say these to a white girl because obviously, she won’t be able to understand it. Definitely, my brown skin and South Asian looks were the culprits here.
Solo Travel In Istanbul – Striking a Conversation By Straightaway Touching The Girl
Istanbul can get really hot during the daytime in June. I stopped at a small roadside stall to buy water on a hot day. And again I heard those magical words, “You from India?”. If only I got a dollar for being asked this question every time, I’d have been a billionaire by now! But this time the conversation didn’t start in a conventional manner.
The shopkeeper had the audacity to directly grab my arm and gently rub it while asking the million-dollar question. By this time, I have had enough of these flirty men ruining my holiday that I just threw the money there and left in annoyance!
Solo Travel In Istanbul – A Kind Restaurant Server In Disguise
Fast forward to 8 days later when I returned to Istanbul after traveling across three different cities in Turkey. This day, all I wanted to do was to rejuvenate from the travel stress, have a nice spa session followed by a peaceful dinner. Well, things were all going according to the plan until I decided to dine in at a cute rooftop café with a gorgeous view of the Golden Horn. If you don’t know already, the Golden Horn side of Istanbul is not a very touristy neighborhood of the city. Unsurprisingly, upon entering the café, I realized that I was the only tourist there.
I was escorted to my table by a 23-years old then hospitable Turkish server. If you’re wondering how I knew his age, well then continue reading because it was quite a conversation I had with him! The guy was extremely kind towards me and he tried very hard to make me understand about all the Turkish dishes on the menu. At that time I really enjoyed it and deep down inside I was appreciating him for being so nice and welcoming to the only tourist dining in the café. He even took a picture of me with my phone and permission (though I didn’t ask him for it).
All was well until his kindness started to low-key irritate me. While I was eating, he kept on roaming around my table, staring at me in a weird manner and whenever I look at him – he would just smile. My instincts started to alarm me at this point that this dinner will not end on a pleasant note. While clearing my table after dinner, he started an unwelcoming small talk about where I was from, what’s my age, am I alone in Istanbul, etc., followed by handing me his phone to save my mobile number in it!
I gently tried refusing him but he kept on insisting. Then I just placed his phone on the table and left from there right away to pay the bill and get out from that place! I know should have complained about him to any senior staff in the restaurant but at that moment I was feeling extremely angry and disgusted with his audacity and all the incidents I faced during my solo travel in Istanbul!
Best Places To Stay In Istanbul
My stay in Istanbul was divided into parts – first when I landed in the country and later when I returned to Istanbul after traveling across three different cities. Gladly, I didn’t face any such trouble at the properties I stayed at in Istanbul.
For the first leg of my stay in Istanbul, I choose the super touristy area of Sultanahmet (old town). It is a great place to stay for solo travelers and backpackers. All the major tourist attractions like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace are within a walking distance in Sultanahmet. There are tons of restaurants there as well, which makes it an ideal place to stay especially when on budget.
I stayed at the lovely Castle Hostel in Istanbul. The hostel was situated right in the heart of the old city of Sultanahmet with the tram station barely a 3mins walk away. Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are also just 5mins walk away from the hostel. It is a clean and comfortable accommodation, run by two extremely helpful local guys. I highly recommend staying at Castle hostel if you’re traveling solo in Istanbul.
The second leg of my stay in Istanbul was hosted by the lovely Ramada Hotels and Suites by Golden Horn Istanbul. The hotel is situated in the non-touristy family district of Beyoglu. It is an ideal place for people looking to stay in a quiet neighborhood away from the crowd of Istanbul. .
For more information – read my detailed review of Ramada Hotels and Suites by Golden Horn Istanbul here
Booking.comFinal Verdict – Is Istanbul Good or Bad for Brown Solo Girls?
The purpose of writing this article was by no means to summarize all Turkish men to be flirty or intimidating. These were just a few bad incidents I faced while my solo travel in Istanbul, which was all somehow, resulted due to a few men intrigued by my nationality and skin color. Apart from a handful of jerks, I did meet many incredibly respectful, kind and hospitable Turkish men who I’d love to see again if I visit Turkey.
I would say Istanbul is a safe city to visit for brown girls but just be prepared to never disclose that you’re traveling alone when asked about it. Try to walk away from any weirdo giving you his number by saying a gentle ‘thank you not interested’. Avoid dark alleys and walking alone after 11 PM even in the touristy areas. And that’s it – some little precautions to take and I think you will be good to go.
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Thank you for sharing your experiences. I travel with my husband which often keeps anything like this from happening, but not always. It’s crazy how these men feel they can be so forward and so pushy. I appreciate your honesty so that others can be prepared when they travel to Istanbul, and I’m sorry you had to deal with this.
It’s absolutely insane how men still feel entitled to such behaviour! I am so sorry you had to go through this in an amazing city like Istanbul. When I was in Egypt, my long blonde hair stood out like a sore thumb and I got catcalled, touched, grabbed the entire time. It’s the main reason why I will never visit that country again.
I am so sorry to hear about your experiences – being grabbed is the worst thing to happen! I’ve heard a lot of similar incidents happening to women travelers in Eygpt. This is being the main reason I am always skeptical about visiting the country. Stay safe 🙂
I hate that all this happened to you but I’m impressed by your handling of every situation! It’s so hard to know what’s the right way to react, especially when you’re all alone in a foreign city. I often end up being way more polite than I should. I’m inspired by your no-nonsense attitude!
I feel you, girl! I have been guilty of being way too polite with such jerks but since now I learned my lessons the hard way – I don’t even think twice in making them realize that how uncomfortable they’re making me. Hope you don’t have unpleasant experiences in the future. Safe travels 🙂
Me and my friend travelled to Istanbul on 2017 and we both young lady. Both of us light brown skin and both of us Muslim but we never faced any harassment or men asking for our number, yes they used say salaam which mean hello, or sometimes they used to say we are beautiful but that’s all. You could face worst in clubbing in uk . The countries I feel woman could face harassment are Egypt or Morocco .